The Orionids are one of the most famous meteor showers of the year. These have the peculiarity that they can be seen from any point on the planet (their declination (+ 16º) close to the Celestial Equator allows them to be observed from all over the globe) and, of course, they do not require special instruments to contemplate them: meteors can be seen with the naked eye.
This nocturnal spectacle comes from the particles of comet 1P / Halley -one of the best known comets-, which visits our planet every 76 years (so we will be able to see it again in 2062, there are still a few years left) and the name of Orionids is It is because the meteors depart from the Constellation of Orion.
How to locate this starting point of the meteors? Very easy. The constellation Orion has in its center three stars aligned and almost the same brightness, called ‘the three Marys’ . But if what we want to see is a long-distance meteor, we will direct our eyes to the radiant and then to 90 degrees from it, thus we will take advantage of the trajectory of the meteors in all their splendor. We remember that all shooting stars will go in the opposite direction to the radiant one.
To see this rain of stars, we recommend doing it between midnight and dawn – regardless of the country you are in -, from a dark place and far from light pollution (away from large cities if possible) and contemplate them over a hammock or similar, lying on your back.
The fact that the sky is clear of clouds will also be a determining factor. We will not have to worry about the Moon , since on the day of maximum activity of the meteor shower it will be at 4%. This day is the night of October 21-22; Specifically, the peak is scheduled for 20:00 UTC on October 21 and , as we have said, it can be seen from both hemispheres of the planet.
It is a moderate meteor shower . About 20 meteors per hour are expected, with a speed of 66 km / s. The color of these meteors is generally green-yellow and they often leave behind a trail that persists for a few seconds, as they are made up of large particles that produce persistent streaks. It will not be like the Perseids or the Geminids (which are around 120 meteors per hour), but without a doubt it is a spectacle that every fan of astronomy would not want to miss. We already know that it is not one of the strongest but it is one of the most beautiful of the year.
This year the Moon blocked the Eta Aquarids and the Perseids but the Quadrantids, the Lyrids, the Delta Aquarids, the Orionids, the Leonids (in November) and the Geminids (in December), do not present this visual obstacle.
In order not to miss the event:
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When: October 4 to November 14, 2017
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Best night: October 21-22
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Maximum activity: October 21 at 8:00 p.m. UTC
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Moon phase: 4%
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Number and speed: +20 Meteors / hour / 66 Km / s
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Origin (radiant): Orion constellation
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Radiant Coordinates: Right Ascension 06h 20m, Declination + 15.5º
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Associated comet: 1P / Halley
